According to the known prior art, phase masks are used in lithography to increase the lateral resolution. In contrast to conventional masks comprising transparent and non-transparent regions, PSMs (“phase shift masks”) have a phase shift of usually 180° between transparent regions. Moreover, there are also masks which comprise both conventional mask regions and regions including phase shift structures.
According to the prior art, solutions based on interferometric arrangements are known for the measurement of optical imaging systems for lithographic applications.
In this connection, DE 102 58 142 A1 describes a device for optical measurement of an imaging system by wavefront detection using shearing interferometry. This involves detection of a superimposed structure by means of an object structure to be arranged preceding the imaging system on the object side, an image structure to be arranged following the imaging system on the image side and a detector and evaluating unit arranged following said image structure and evaluating said superimposed structure by means of the object structure and image structure. The image structure and/or the object structure include(s) a periodic multi-frequency pattern, which comprises, in at least one direction, at least two different periodicity lengths and/or at least one two-dimensional main pattern with periodically arranged structure fields and at least one sub-pattern formed in structure fields of the main pattern. For example, the device may be used for high-precision, spatially resolved measurement of projection lenses in microlithography systems for structuring semi-conductor elements.
Further, in DE 102 60 985 A1, a device is described for interferometric wavefront measurement of an optical imaging system, wherein the measurement of an optical imaging system is effected by wavefront detection using shearing interferometry. The solution provides for the use of an illuminating part to be arranged preceding the imaging system on the object side, of a diffraction grating to be arranged following the imaging system and preceding the image plane of said imaging system, of a filter mask to be arranged in the image plane of the imaging system, and of a detector unit arranged following the filter mask, wherein the illuminating part includes a coherence mask having a multiple-opening structure designed to reduce undesired orders of diffraction. Moreover, the filter mask is arranged to be movable in the image plane of the imaging system. For example, the device may be used with respect to possible imaging errors for spatially resolved measurement of high-aperture projection lenses of microlithography systems.
A further solution claiming a device and a method for detection of wavefronts of electromagnetic radiation, in particular visible and ultraviolet light as well as soft X-rays, is described in DE 101 09 929 A1. The two-dimensional structure of the wavefront source allows to adapt the spatial coherence of the radiation such that the wavefronts transformed by the optical system can be measured with high precision. The proposed device is suitable for both coherent and incoherent radiation ranging from infrared light to X-rays. A large spectral range is available already when using conventional CCD camera technology for the spatially resolving detector. However, at extremely short wavelengths, a photo-emission electron microscope (PEEM), for example, can also be used as spatially resolving detector. The spatially resolving detector can also comprise a sensor designed with CMOS technology, having low power consumption and enabling integration of a D/A converter on the detector. A sensor using CID (charge injection device) technology is also possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,573,997 B1 describes a hybrid shearing and point diffraction interferometer, which combines the strengths of two existing interferometry methods, increases the precision of measurement and improves the dynamics of both systems. The stop used therein and arranged near the image plane of an optical system contains patterns for both interferometry methods. The described solution is provided to check projection optics of photolithographic systems. In particular, one embodiment of the solution also allows to check a single optical element. For this purpose, this optical element is irradiated by an electromagnetic energy source and sequentially examined, by shifting the hybrid mask into the optical beam path, interferometrically, by means of shearing and phase shift point diffraction interferometry. Using the described hybrid interferometer system, different imaging errors can be determined and characterized so as to prevent the projection optics from projecting washed out, unfocused images on the wafer. The analysis of the interferogram and of the resulting wavefront allows to deduce the presence of deviations.
Further, solutions are known in the prior art which allow to examine structures by the use of interferometric arrangements.
Methods based on a “lateral shearing interferometer” (LSI) are respectively described by Fütterer in [1] and by Schwider in [3]. In this measurement arrangement, which comprises a pinhole as the illumination source, the diffraction grating is positioned outside the focus in the parallel beam path. A stop which filters out certain orders of diffraction is arranged in the focus of the first imaging system.
A shearing interference microscope is described by Kusunose et al. in [2]. However, this interferometer is very bulky due to the multiplicity of optical elements used and represents a not very compact measurement arrangement.